Improvement in car-couplings



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT BRIDGES, OF WESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

' IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 155,701, dated October 6, 1874; application filed April 3, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

i Be it known that I, ALBERT BRIDGES, of

Westfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented a Combined Car- Coupling and Buffer, of which the following is a specification:

" Draw-heads ofcar-couplings have been made with springs that take the recoil and act in both directions, allowing the draft-head and bars to move forward when drawn upon, or to yield backwardly when the cars are forced toward each other; but this device did not prevent looseness in the coupling-link. Buifers that yield when the cars come together are also old.

My invention consists in combining the buffer and draw-head in such a manner that the buffer serves to support the coupling-pin or other coupling device when the cars are separated, and to allow such coupling device to drop when the buffer is pushed back out of the way as the cars are run together, or as the buffer is forced back by hand-power, as hereinafter described. l

By this device the cars can be coupled or uncoupled when the engine is backed sufciently to compress the buffers; and at other times the expansion of the builer-sprin gs keeps the coupling devices tightly together, and the buffers prevent sudden concussion when the train is. being stopped, started, or backed.

There is also added a mechanism by which the coupling or uncouplin g can be effected, without the use of the engine to press the cars ltoward each other, when the cars are at rest.

In the drawing, Figure l is a `section of one coupling and buffer. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the opposite one. and partial sectional plan of the same.

The buffer-head a is provided with a guiderod, b, that runs through the stationary support c, introduced between the guide-frames cl, that are bolted to the car. The draw-head is made of the bars c, that'are bent as a D, and lie between the frames cl d, and pass above and below the central abutment c, and they are connected together at the outer ends by the bars ff. The spring g, between the bufferhead a and abutment c and around the guidebar b, serves to take the compression upon the Figs. 3 and 4 are a plan buffer-head; and its action only relates to the kept in position by a continuation of the guidebar b but the spring h is only acted upon by the pull upon the draw-bars c.

The end of the buffer is made with a flaring recess 'for the reception of the coupling-link, and with a slottabove and below the recess, through which slots the coupling-pin l passes freely, so that said pin does not prevent the bu iter-head being pressed back to any required extent, the same being resisted only by the spring g. Holes are provided in the drawhead c for vthe coupling-pin l, as usual; and I avail of the construction before described of combined buier and draw-head to support the pin l when the cars are uncoupled, and to allow that pin to drop by gravity as the cars are forced together.

The parts will be in the position shown in I Fig. 1 when at rest, and the stop-collar or nut m determines the point to which the spring g can projectthe buffer; hence the ledge 2 of the buffer, being below the end of the pin I, supports the same; but, as the buffer yields to pressure, this ledge moves back, and the pin falls through the link p.

It is preferable that the inner end of the link shall be pressed between the back end of the recess and the pin l, so as to steady the link in the recess of the buifer when the couplin gs are being run together.

The parts thus far described will be operative and convenient for use in a train, for the cars can be nncoupled when the enginehas pressed the cars toward each other sufficiently to relieve the pins from pressure by the buffer; but, to allow for uncoupling the cars when at rest without the use of the engine, it is necessary to employ a lever to force back the buer.

I provide a lever, a", rupon a fulcrum, s, on the buffer-head, and this acts against a stud or pin, o, on the draw-bar e, so as to enable the attendant to move the parts sufficiently to allow for withdrawing the pin l. These levers 2. The draw-bar, buffer, and car-lcoupling, r een be operated upon by a shaft and Wheel, combined with e. lever, fr, for relieving the with a chain to the lever, similar t0 a brake. coupling-pin from the pressure of the buffer,

I claim as my inventionsubstantially as set forth. l. The draw-bead made of bars e e, that eX-Y Signed by me this 30th day of March, 1874. tend past the abutment c of the frames d and receive the spring h, in combination with the ALBERT BRIDGES' Slotted bui`er-head a, guide-rod b, spring g, Witnesses: v

and coupling-pin, substantially as and for the GEO. T. PINGKNEY,

purposes seti forth. l i y CHAs. H. SMITH. 

